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Sunday, September 20, 2009

The Ocho

USF's past couple of games have been lower-profile, so watching them on TV hasn't been an option. So this Saturday, I was getting score updates by text, as I always do, while at a marching band competition. I saw we won 59-0, and was pleased that we did what I feel we should against a I-AA opponent. Little did I know at the time that an injury had occurred that would end the college career of the face of the program, Matt Grothe.

You hate to see anyone get injured, much less in the career-ending manner, but certainly it being Matt Grothe, a young man who has given so much to our program, particularly stings. I have no doubt he'll continue to provide leadership off the field, but I'm sad--perhaps for no one more than Matt himself--that he will no longer be on it.

Matt Grothe is the all-time total offensive leader in the Big East, having surpassed Pat White earlier this season. He's been known to be USF's leading passer AND rusher, and will undoubtedly be missed behind the line of scrimmage.

Waiting in the wings is redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels, and he's got a steep hill to climb right out of the gate, when the Bulls head up to Tallahassee to take on FSU, fresh off of a takedown of #7 BYU. It's anyone's guess how this game will go, but this may be Daniels' opportunity to start a career as a giant-killer. After all, Miami comes later in the season, and next year, in what will be a matchup between a Grothe-less USF team and a Tebow-less Florida, B.J. will have a leg up on whoever succeeds Tebow. And we've still got an entire conference slate to go this year. I'm confident that should this team do what it sets out to do each and every year and win a Big East championship, Grothe will be a huge part of that title, regardless of whether or not he's the one slinging the ball.